milliken



(No Model.)

G. F. MILLIKBN. ELECTRICAL GONTINITY VIBRATOR.

Patented Oct. 23. 1888.

rares Vlliure artnr Ormea.

GEORGE F. MILLIKEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAMEVELL AUXILIARY FIRE ALARM COMPANY, OE SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICAL CONTINUITY VEBRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,547, dated October 23, 1888.

Application filed December 9, 1887. Serial No. 257.425.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that l, GEORG-E F. MILLIKEN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Im provements in Electrical Continuity Vibrators, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to electrical circuits and to the operation therein by voltaic electricity of the electrical instru ments and apparatus connected therein.

It has for its object the utilization of the bata tery-current for additional purposes in vibratory electrical circuit, and aims to obtain this result by preserving the continuity of the circuit, and without the loss consequent upon the opening of the main circuit by a self-acting electro-magnetic vibrator, and also to provide a new form of continuity vibrator.

In carrying` out my invention I employ in an electrical circuit two distinct electrical instruments operated by a battery. The one may be, say, a relay, and the other must be a continuity vibrator or circuiteontroller, the coils of the former instrument (the relay) being always in the main circuit, while the coils of the continuity vibrator are alternately in and ont of the main circuit, as the armature vibrates when the circuit is operated. XVhen the circuit is through the armature,the branch which includes the coils is broken, and when the circuit is through the coils the branch which includes the armature is broken, the said branches forming alternately sections of the main circuit.

The object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of contacts in a circuitcontroller or continuity vibrator so constructed as to overcome the objectionable features in those now in use when employed in a circuit with an electromagnet in addition to that of the circuit-controller, which it is desired shall not be affected by the vibrations of the circuit'- controller armature, it being necessary that the vibratory movements of the armature itself shall not be impaired in its freedom of motion or extension of excursion, it being well known that when an electiomagnet is shunted out of circuit the inductive effects prevent the immediate release of the armature, and consequently, if vthe back-stroke of the armature, caused by its retracting-spring, is relied upon (No model.)

alone to complete the circuit through the coils of the vibrator and open the shunt, it may prove insuiiicient, and therefore I provide against this by the arrangement herein described and claimed, in which the armature is assisted by the spring forming the forward Contact.

In the construction of continuity vibrators which forms my invention I employ two contacts, each of which is broken alternately, only one being broken at the same time, or practically so. One of these contacts forms part of a circuit through the coils of the continuity vibrator, and the other contact forms part ofa shunt around them. By this arrange ment I first have a circuit (including a battery) through the said coils, and the vibrating armature being attracted makes in its forward movement another contact, forming a shunt around them, the continued movement of the armature, by its momentum, breaking the first contact, and thus opening the branch through the said coils, but maintaining the circuit by means of the second or shunt cpntact until the reverse movement of the armature has again closed the first contact, forming a path for the current through the said coils,and opened the second contact, removing the shunt. Thus, the path through the said coils being broken by every forward movement of the armature, the discharge of the electro-magnet will be as complete as if the main circuit itself had been broken,and, the main circuit being held closed by a shunt during the time that the path through the coils is open, I am able to preserve a continuous and uninterrupted current from the same battery for the purpose to which an electric current may be applied, which for the purposes of this specification Ihave elected to be a relay, all of which I will now proceed to describe, and point out more specifically in the claims.

Of the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown my invention embodied in electrical circuits which include a continuity vibrator and a relay, and which form a part of and illustrate this specification, Figures l and 2 are diagrammatic representations of my invention as applied to `-an open and closed circuit, respectively.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic representation embodying my invention, composed of a normally-open main circuit, including a battery, B, connected by wire u from one pole thereof to the normally-open key t, by wire f to the coils n of a relay, R, thence by wire m to the coils a of a continuity vibrator or circuitbreaker, V, by wirex to thestandardj, through the adjustable contact-screwZ thereof to the center` of a spring, h, (one end of which is secured to a support, k, of insulating material, which is also shown as the support of the standard j, the other end of said spring bearing a contact-point, g,) and by wire w to the opposite pole of the battery. That portion of the circuit extending from the point y on the wire m just before it enters the coils of the continuity vibrator V to the point of the adjustable contact-screw z', I term a branch 77--say branch A; and I may also term a branch that portion ofthe circuit extending from the said pointy by wire Z and armature b to its contact-point g-say branch B-as in both cases each such portion is alternately a part of the main circuit. Branch B is more particularly described as commencing at the said point y l on the wirem, a wire, Z, extending to the outer end of a flat spring, c, attached to and supported by the base-block cZ, the other end of said spring being connected to one end of the continuity vibrator b. The said armature bears upon the under side of its free end a con` tact-point, g, placed immediately over the contact-point g on the free end of the spring h. The spring h, standard j, and screw t' form a spring-contact device. The spring c not only supports the armature b, but normally holds it away from the coils a, and also separates its contact-point g from the contact-point g on the spring h. The free end of the armature b carries on its upper outer end a bell-striker, e, arranged in proximity to which is a bellgong, G, by means of which the armature serves the purpose of a bell-alarm as well as a circuitbreaker. I may leave the bell-hammer off from the armature and use the latter as a buzzer,77 to call attention. When the key t is depressed, thereby closing the main circuit, the battery energizes the coils of the circuitcontroller V, and its armature b is attracted to the said coils, bringing its contact-point g into contact with the contact-point g' on the end of the spring h, forcing the spring downward and away from the contact-screw i, thus breaking the branch A at that point. When the key t was closed, the battery-circuit was as follows: starting from the copper electrode of the battery B, by wire w to spring h, contact-screw fZ and standard j, wire w, coils of continuity vibrator V, wire m, relay B, operating its armature, wire f, key t, and wire u, to the zinc pole or electrode of battery B, the contacts h and z being closed. When the branch is broken, as described, the coils of the continuity vibrator V are readily demagnetized, and the spring c, by its resiliency, lifts the armature b upward to its normal position, separating the contact g from the contact g of the spring h, and the bell-striker e comes in contact with the bell-gong G, giving it a tap. At practically the same time that the branch is broken by the separation of the spring h fromthe contact screwz' the coils c of the continuity vibrator V are shunted and the current takes the path around them, as follows: commencing with the copper electrode of the battery B, by wire fw, spring h, contacts g and g, armature b, and wire Z to point or junction y, thence by wire m to coils n of relay R, its armature being more strongly attracted by the coils c being shunted, and thence by wire f, key t, and wire a to the zinc electrode of battery B; As long as the keyt is closed, these alternate diversions of the battery-current will take place, first through the main circuit, including the branch operating the continuity-vibrator coils a, resulting in the tapping of the bell-gong, and then through the path including the armature b. rIlhe coils of the relay R become energized and attract their armature as soon as the circuit is closed by the key t and hold it attracted as long as the circuit is closed. Vhen the circuit is opened, the relay-armature is drawn back by its retractile spring. It will be seen that when in operation the strength of the battery-current varies, as the coils of the continuity vibrator V are connected in and shunted out of the main circuit-as, for instance, when shunted out the relay-coils are more strongly energized, owing to the decreased resistance of the circuit.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the same inventionoshown in Fig. l, but illustrates the same in a closed battery-circuit and with adifferent mechanical arrangement of the continuity-vibrator armature and its contactpoints. The said armature b is shown as resting against the free end of a fiat spring, s', the other end of which is attached to an insulating-support, lo. Underneath the spring s is another similar spring, si, attached to the under side of the same support, k. The main circuit can be opened by means of the switch S when it is desired to stop the operation. As shown in the ligure, the circuit is from battery B, wire m', armature b, spring s', wire x', coils a of the continuity vibrator V, wire u, switch S, wire f, relay B, and by wire Z to the opposite pole of the battery B. The coils a of the continuity vibrator V, becoming energized by the battery-current when the circuit is closed by the switch S, attract the armature b, which breaks contact with the spring -s and opens the branch A, which includes the coils a. The armature b, by making contact with the spring si, makes a path around the coils a, through which the current flows, the circuit being as follows: starting from battery B, thence by wire m', armature b, spring s2, wire w, point or junction g/,wire u, switch S, and wire f to relay-coils u, and by wire Z to the opposite pole of the battery B, the operation being the same in this figure as ign Fig. l, in both cases being performed Without any break in the continuity ICO IZO

of the main circuit, provided the springs s and s are properly adj usted.

In Fig. 2 the armature, by its rapid vibrations between the springs s and s2, operates as a buzzer call-signal. In this case the relaycoils are energized when the circuit is closed, attracting its armature, which of course remains so until the circuit is opened.

I claiml. The combination, with a main circuit and two branches, each of which forms a section of the main circuit alternately, one or the other of the branches being normally open, the main circuit containing a battery, an electromagnet of atranslating device,and means for changing the electrical condition of the circuit, of an electro-magnet and armature therefor carrying a contact, a spring for retracting the same, a spring-contact device operated by the armature, consisting, essentially, of a spring with which the armature makes contact when attracted by its magnet, and a contact connected with the magnet-coils, arranged to be connected with the main circuit when the armature is retracted, one of the branches of the main circuit containing the magnet-coils, the armature, and the contact connected by the retraction of the armature, and the other branch including the spring-contact operated by the forward movement of the armature, and the armature, whereby the spring-contact assists the armature-spring in retracting the armature and re-establishing the branch including the coils of the magnet, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a main circuit and two branch circuits, each of which forms a section ofthe main circuit alternately, one or the other ofthe branches being normally open, the main circuit containing a battery, an electromagnet of a translating device, and means for changing the electrical condition of the circuit, of an electro-magnet, an armature therefor carrying a contact, a spring for retracting the same, a spring with which the armature makes contact when attracted by the electromagnet, a contact-point with which the lastnamed spring makes contact normally, one of the branches ofthe main circuit including the armature and spring-contact, and the other containing the coils of the magnet, the contactpoint, and contactspring, arranged as described, whereby the contact-spring assists the armature-spring in retracting the armature and re-establishing the branch including the coils of the magnet afterit has been broken by the forward movement of the armature, as set forth.

3. The combination, with a lnain circuit and two branches, each of which forms a section of the main circuit alternately, one or the other of the branches being normally open, the main circuit containing a battery, an electro-magnet of a translating device, and means for changing the electrical condition of the circuit, of an electro-magnet, an armature therefor carrying a contact, a spring for retracting the same, a spring with which the armature makes contact when attracted by the electro-magnet, an adjustable contact-point with which the lastnamed spring makes contact normally, one of the branches of the main circuit including the armature and spring-contact,and the other containing the coils of the magnet, the adjustable contact-point, and contact-spring, arranged as described, whereby the contact-spring assists the armature-spring in retracting the armature and re-establishing the branch including the coils after it has been broken by the forward movement of the armature, as set forth.

4. The combination,with a main circuit containing a battery and means for changing the electrical condition ofthe circuit, and having two branches, one of which is normally open, of Aan electro-magnet, an armature therefor carrying a contact, aspring for retracting the same, a spring-contact device operated by the armature, consisting, essentially, of a spring with which the armature makes contact when attracted` by its magnet, and a contact connected with the magnet-coils, arranged to be connected with the main circuit when the armature is retracted, one of the branches of the main circuit containing the magnet-coils, the armature, the contact operated by the retraction of the armature, and the other branch including the spring-contact connected by the forward movement of the armature, and the armature, whereby the spring-contact assists the armature-spring in retracting the armature and re-establishing the branch including the coils of the magnet, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 25th day of November, A. l). 1887.

GEORGE F. M ILLIKEN.

Witnesses:

GEO. WILLrs PIERCE, E. W. KELLOGG..

IOO 

